Evelyn Bertsch Malota, a beloved daughter, wife, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, was called home to her eternal rest on October 18, 2026 in Austin, Texas at the age of 90.

She was born on October 5, 1936, in Frelsburg, Texas to Jesse and Catherine Bertsch, and from her earliest days she was shaped by the steady virtues of hard work, devotion, and grace. She graduated from St. John’s Catholic High School in 1955, carrying forward a life marked not by worldly display, but by quiet steadfast love, and a generous spirit that nourished all who came near her.

After graduation, Evelyn married Leo Curtis Eilers and to their union she was blessed with a son, Ronald Eilers, who brought her great pride and joy. She worked tirelessly and lived a simple life in order to provide her son the opportunity to go to college, something she didn’t feel possible for her as she came from a large family. After her first marriage ended, she was fortunate to meet John Malo ta who she married and with whom she spent many won- derful years. They enjoyed laughing, joking, fishing and working alongside one another in the restaurant, Evelyn’s Café, that she owned and operated from the mid 1960’s until 1977. When not in the restaurant they were known to go to Lake Somerville, Matagorda, or frequent many of the local establishments around the Fayette County area. Evelyn was known to select locations that didn’t serve food so she could prepare dishes or a meal to provide to the patrons that were in attendance. Her love for cooking and baking, particularly kolaches and pies, came from her family upbringing as she said her mother turned the cooking, baking and household chores over to her at an early age so her mother could help in the fields on their family farm. Following the closing of the restaurant in 1977, Evelyn continued to worked in several businesses including the Green Lantern Café in LaGrange, working in the cafeteria of Fayetteville ISD, and finally retired after many years at Westside in Fayetteville.

Evelyn’s life was a testimony to the sacred dignity of ordinary work done with uncommon love. She spent her days cooking, baking, caring for family, and tending to everyone around her, and in these humble labors she revealed a heart of uncommon greatness. She was a woman who gave herself freely, and many knew her, not by grand speeches, but by the comfort of her presence and the abundance of her table. If one came to her house, one could count on a table full of food and desserts and she always said “If you leave my table hungry, it is your own fault”. No one cooked like Evelyn, and those who were blessed to taste her meals will carry that memory as a sweet and tasting treasure.

Her kitchen was more than a place of preparation, for it was a sanctuary of fellowship, laughter, and welcome. Through her cooking and baking, she expressed the language of love more eloquently than many do with words. Cooking and baking was not only her gift, but her calling, for she lived as one who understood that hospitality is a holy thing.

In her later years, arthritis and lack of mobility kept Evelyn getting around as much as she once had, yet she remained determined to live out her life on her own terms, as an independent and very stubborn woman. There was strength in her resolve, and there was grace in her perseverance. Though her body grew frail, her spirit did not surrender easily, and she met the closing seasons of life with the same determination that had long marked her days. She was, in every sense, a woman of conviction, and those who knew her understood that her stubbornness was often the guardian of her dignity and her will to endure.

Evelyn is survived by her son Ron (Linda) Eilers of Brenham, her granddaughters Shelley (Dustin) Dippel of Fayetteville, and Stacey (Colton) Kaminski of Cat Spring, as well as her great-grandchildren of whom she spoke often and with pride, Maryn and Jace Kaminski and Cooper Dippel. She is also survived by sister-in-law’s Emily Bertsch, Lorine Bertsch, and Pat Bertsch as well as many nieces and nephews from the Bertsch and Malota families.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband, John Malota, her parents Jesse and Catherine Geistmann Bertsch, her brothers Daniel, Bennie, Melvin and Leon (Ruby) Bertsch and her sister, Carolyn (Don) Easton.

Her life was long, fruitful, and richly woven with love, labor, and devotion. She leaves behind a family who will remember her with gratitude, and a community that was made better by her presence. In the hearts of her loved ones, Evelyn will not be absent, but cherished, spoken of, and remembered with tenderness.

Visitation was held on Friday, October 23, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Koenig-Belvill Funeral Home & Cremations of La Grange. The family will be present at this time to receive friends. A private graveside service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Fayetteville Volunteer Fire Department, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Endowment Fund, or to a charity of one’s choice.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Koenig- Belvill Funeral Home & Cremations, 208 W. Pearl, La Grange, Texas. Family and friends can view and sign the guestbook online at www.lagrangefunerals.com.